Cyclist killed in accident
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

A Gaffney man was killed Saturday night when he rode his bicycle into the path of a sports utility vehicle on S.C. Highway 150, said Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler.

Kevin Eugene Sarratt, 44, of 528 Boiling Springs Hwy., was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sarratt was headed north on his bicycle at 8:50 p.m. when he pulled in front of a 2005 Suzuki driven by Erik Todd Mowery, 25, of 2661-J Braeburn Court, Gastonia, said Lance Cpl. Josef Robinson of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Mowery and a passenger in his vehicle, Kelsey Clark, also of Gastonia, were not injured.

Sarratt was not wearing a helmet and was riding in the middle of the road in heavy rain when the accident occurred, Robinson said.

"The victim was wearing dark colored clothing in addition to a heavy downpour of rain which made it difficult for motorists to see him," Fowler said.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is still investigating.

Robinson said alcohol is not believed to be a contributing factor to the accident.

Sarratt is the 15th traffic fatality in Cherokee County this year and the second in less than 48 hours.

Michael James Martin, 41, of Grover died Friday morning shortly before 1 a.m. near Blacksburg when his truck overturned while Martin attempted to elude police during a high-speed chase, police said Friday.